Marseille in free fall, De Zerbi helpless

After an impressive start, Marseille’s season has now hit a serious slump. Coupled with a recent string of poor results, the team has gradually lost its appeal. The 1-3 loss to Reims, a team that has not won in Ligue 1 since November, in the 27th round of Ligue 1 on March 29th may be the clearest evidence of the current crisis.

The relationship between De Zerbi and Marseille

While a 3-1 defeat to PSG before the international break was nothing to be ashamed of, losing to Reims, struggling Lens and Auxerre by three goals was worrying. It’s worth remembering that Marseille had not only spent big on big-name signings like Adrien Rabiot, Amine Gouiri, Mason Greenwood, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg and Ismaël Bennacer, but also placed a lot of hope in coach De Zerbi, who was supposed to bring stability to the team after a series of turbulent seasons.

After three managers last season – Marcelino, Gennaro Gattuso and Jean-Louis Gasset – Marseille failed to qualify for European competition. So the arrival of De Zerbi was seen as a turning point, having enjoyed success in Italy and England. Bolstered by the transfer window with notable signings such as Rabiot, Greenwood and Elye Wahi, Marseille looked set for a revolution.

Initially, the team was on fire. Marseille scored goals, Greenwood got into the game quickly, and Luis Henrique – a player once considered a huge mistake – suddenly shone. But recently, despite strong January additions in Gouiri and Bennacer, the team’s form has been worryingly volatile. Is De Zerbi’s impatience in finding the right formation clouding his tactics?

Throughout this time, De Zerbi has constantly changed the squad, experimented and has not hesitated to change the positions of the players.

Throughout the season, De Zerbi has been constantly changing his formation, experimenting and not afraid to change players' positions. After letting Wahi go, and lacking a natural striker other than Neal Maupay, he used Gouiri as a striker, leaving Greenwood out of the squad (including in Le Classique) and introducing Bilal Nadir.

De Zerbi has criticised Greenwood’s fitness and stamina in a key role, but leaving him out may not have been the right decision, especially considering his goalscoring record. He is still second in the Ligue 1 scoring charts this season, behind only Ousmane Dembele.

Despite Greenwood's return to the squad last weekend, Marseille were still defeated, with Reims taking advantage of their chances to beat De Zerbi's side. A Marseille side lacking cohesion, especially in defence, allowed their opponents to prove too strong.

Marseille started the season impressively, playing in a 4-2-3-1 system, winning four of their first five games and sitting firmly in second place at Christmas. However, De Zerbi has recently switched to a 3-4-2-1, despite the lack of real centre-backs. Results have never proven this to be a sound strategy.

Defensive restructuring decisions

The absence of Luiz Felipe has forced De Zerbi to make defensive changes, but is he responsible for those decisions? Lilian Brassier, who impressed for Brest last season and helped them qualify for the Champions League, joined Marseille on loan in the summer. However, he only made nine appearances before being sent back to his parent club. Brassier is now at Rennes, and has been one of Habib Beye's most impressive performers, helping the team keep five clean sheets in their last five games.

Mason Greenwood was left out of the squad by coach De Zerbi recently.

Things are not looking good for Chancel Mbemba either, an experienced player who played well last season but has not played this season. Instead of working with Brassier or bringing Mbemba back into the team, De Zerbi has decided to experiment with full-backs (Pol Lirola, Amir Murillo) and midfielders (Geoffrey Kondogbia) at centre-back. Felipe, a natural centre-back, has only played twice since joining in January.

Although Marseille’s squad remains strong, De Zerbi’s tactics have not produced the cohesion the team needs. The constant experimentation and changes to the formation could prove costly for De Zerbi if he fails to adjust. Marseille’s hopes of a return to the Champions League – once a near-certainty – are now in jeopardy. If De Zerbi cannot find a solution, his future at the club will not last long.

Source: https://znews.vn/marseille-roi-tu-do-de-zerbi-bat-luc-post1542336.html